SIX in 10 women feel uncomfortable eating in front of their partners, while almost half get shy when undressing.

And one in four thinks about food every 30 minutes, compared with one in 10 who thinks about sex that often, a ­Shapesmart diet study found.

Many of the 5,000 women questioned admitted to overeating due to hunger pangs caused by diets.

Four in 10 felt they were always dieting or worried about their weight. And as the guilt sets in after ­overindulging at Christmas, nutritionist Mary Strugar said people needed to be realistic about diet goals.

She said: “Yo-yo dieting is why many people simply give up on and break diets early.”